Charging station selection optimization for plug-in electric vehicles: An oligopolistic game-theoretic framework

In this paper, we describe a framework for the selection of the best charging station when plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) need to recharge their batteries, while at the same time the power utilities, which own the charging stations (CS), optimize their revenue. We use two-way communication to transmit positioning information, which is a key factor so that the plug-in electric vehicles evaluate its required energy. Within this framework, we also describe a procedure that is implemented in a distributed manner and is based on a non-cooperative oligopoly game that makes use of differentiated products theory and conjectural variations to provide a Nash equilibrium in prices and quantities.